194 Early World Civilizations: Supplemental Guide 11A | Tutankhamun, The Golden Pharaoh, Part I
4 What greater prize do you think
Carter had in mind?
Presenting the Read-Aloud 15 minutes
Tutankhamun, The Golden Pharaoh, Part I
Show image 11A-1: King Tut
Many years after Hatshepsut ruled, another pharaoh would
rule for nine years and then be almost completely forgotten for
three thousand years. His name was Tutankhamun (toot-awn-KAH-
mun), although today he is known all over the world as “King Tut.”
Tutankhamun was only nine years old when he became pharaoh,
and he died when he was only nineteen.
Show image 11A-2: Valley of the Kings
We are not sure why he died at such an early age. After his
death, some thought he may have had some sort of accident.
When he died, he was not buried in a pyramid like the pharaohs in
Hatshepsut’s time. Instead, during King Tut’s time, pharaohs were
buried in the hillsides of a valley. That valley was called the Valley
of the Kings. None of the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of
the Kings were marked.^1 So in an unmarked tomb in that valley,
Pharaoh Tutankhamun would rest, surrounded by treasure and
forgotten by the world, for nearly thirty-three centuries—a very
long time ago.^2
Show image 11A-3: Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon working as
archaeologists
Now we will jump way ahead in time from ancient Egypt to
a time closer to today. Almost one hundred years ago, a British
archaeologist named Howard Carter was interested in trying to
fi nd the lost tombs in the Valley of the Kings.^3 Carter’s partner
was a British nobleman, Lord Carnarvon. Carnarvon was also
interested in fi nding the lost tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
Over the next few years, working for and often accompanied
by Lord Carnarvon, Carter found a number of ancient objects
scattered throughout the valley. But he had in mind a greater
prize.^4 Another archaeologist found objects that had hieroglyphs1 Tombs are places where people are
buried after they die.
2 You heard the word treasure in an
earlier read-aloud. What does the
word treasure mean?
3 An archaeologist is a scientist who
studies the people of the past by
looking at what they left behind,
such as tools or pottery.